In the past, Teach For America’s Teacher Leadership Development model was more individualist in nature. For every 30 or so corps members, there was one Manager for Teacher Leadership Development who would provide direct instructional coaching to an assigned group of corps members. Our new model requires us to shift towards collectivism. Meaning, the Director for Teacher Leadership must work alongside our school leaders, licensing partners, and alumni teachers in order to provide wrap around support. Our model is highly agile and we strive to be responsive to each corps member based on a placement school’s particular context. This role requires a leader who approaches our members and partners with humility, and deeply understands the power of collective action.
Ensure High Retention for our Region by Serving as an Instructional Interventionist (50%)
- Regularly visit classrooms in order to determine which corps members may need additional support
- Partner with school teams and our licensing partners to create individualized support plans for corps members who require wrap around support
- Serve as an “interventionist” to a sub-set of corps members who require intensive support from Teach For America
- Leverage other members of the Teacher Leadership and broader Program Continuum Team to provide prioritized corps members with support
Ensure that we fully Leverage our School & Licensing Partners (15%)
- Partner with TFA-Colorado’s Program Continuum Team in order to manage relationships with our school partners
- Leverage school-based coaches as the first line of support for our teachers
- Empower our licensing partners to serve as the primary source for teacher training
- Regularly communicate with our licensing partners and our schools in order to ensure we are providing wrap around support that is agile and responsive to our teachers
Partner with Teacher Leadership Team with Key Member-Engagement Strategies (15%)
- Foster member engagement on the Teacher Leadership Team by orchestrating cohort experiences. This may include supporting initiatives such as the Corps Council, The Collective, the SPED Support Group, and other member groups
Leverage Alumni Teachers to Provide Additional Support (10%)
- Lead efforts to refine our regional approach to “collectivist coaching”
- Manage a team of part-time Teacher Leaders who are able to provide supplemental support to corps members who request or require it
- Leverage school-based alumni members working and living in the neighborhoods where we place corps members in order to provide our teachers with socio-emotional support
- Empower our corps members to mentor newer corps members
Fulfilling our Mission through Organizational and Regional Priorities (10%)
- Participate in our region’s corps member selection, matriculation, induction, and ongoing engagement initiatives
- Attend regional retreats held throughout the year, monthly staff meetings, and occasional conferences and trainings
- You care deeply about our students and communities. You believe that every child deserves the opportunity to attain an excellent education, and you believe that, with the right approach, we can achieve that vision.
- You are oriented to solve problems. You approach constraints and challenges with creativity and optimism.
- You are extremely organized. You set up strong systems for managing deadlines and leave plenty of time to do high-quality work.
- You take strong ownership of your goals, and are unwavering in your pursuit of success.
Prior Experience
- 5+ years of leadership experience within the education sector with at least 2+ years of experience as an instructional coach
- Some experience with grassroots campaigns, advocacy, and/or community engagement/organizing preferred
Skills
- A track record of success as an instructional coach
- Ability to motivate and influence stakeholders
- Must be comfortable working across lines of difference in order to build broad and diverse coalitions
- Knowledge of Denver’s education ecosystem and its various players highly preferred
Work Demands
- The Director for Teacher Leadership will be traveling across the city on a regular basis in order to meet with our ~50 school partners and/or licensing agencies
- The Director for Teacher Leadership will work occasional evenings and weekends for the purpose of engaging with our teachers and alumni members